Drone photography is growing fast in the real estate industry, fueling a new form of digital advertising for agents and sellers. And while the trend is national, the tech-obsessed Bay Area may well be its ground zero as agents try to stand out from the competition in a famously hot market.

"It gives them a leg up," said Walton, who uses his remote-controlled flying machines to shoot the cool videos that prospective buyers have come to expect -- the tech types and foreign investors who won't make a move toward purchasing a house without first inspecting it online.